Mending machine for tufted rugs



Dec. 2, 1958 c. A. BRYANT ET AL MENDING MACHINE FOR TUFTED RUGS Filed Jun 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mane C.ALD/N B 4: F/ G ROBERTEHAGK/VEY ROGER JMc/VAMARA By their attorneys United States Patent Ofiice 1 Patented Dec. 2, 1958 MENDING MACHINE FOR TUFTED RUGS 'Cliiford Aldine Bryant, Robert F. Hackney, and Roger J. McNamara, Dalton, Ga., assignors to Cabin Crafts, Inc., Dalton, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application June 20, 1956, Serial No. 592,532

14 Claims. (Cl. 11279) This invention relates to mending machines and more particularly to machines for mending rugs and other articles made by tufting in which the pile height differs over the area of the rug or other article. With such machines, stitches or loops can be inserted, added, or replaced after the rug has been completed or while it is being inspected. a

To repair or replace stitches in an ordinary tufted carpet with either cut pile or loop pile when the pile height is uniform is a simple matter. But carpeting made by the tufting process and in which the pile height differs over the: area cannot easily be repaired. Tufting is done from the back side and, hence, the operator even if he could adjust the stroke of a mending machine instantaneously could not tell from the back whether the stitches were high or low on the the pile side.

According to the present invention, the novel mending machine hereinafter described in detail is operated by a person who faces the back of the carpeting as the carpeting goes over a high inspecting frame just behind the tufting machine. Another person isstationed on the other side of the inspection frame and looking at the pile side of the carpet. The mending operator guides the mending machine along the carpet to repair or re-v place the stitches where needed while the person on the opposite .side controls the height of the stitches by actuation of a manually controllable device connected with the mending machine.

Thus, itis an object of the invention to provide a mending machine with means which are instantaneously controllable from a point away fromthe machine itself to vary the tuft height as the mending takes place.

Another object is to provide a mending machine in which the tuft height can be instantaneously varied while the machine continues in operation and without the necessity of stopping the machine for the purpose of making an adjustment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tufting machine having the foregoing characteristics which will-be reliable in operation over long periods of use and which can be economically manufactured and operated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine having the foregoingcharacteristics which have. provision for adjusting the height of the tuft to any desired height of the high and low pile while at the same time enabling the selection of a high or low pile tuft instantaneously as the mending proceeds.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mending machine having the foregoing characteristics, the stopping and starting of which can be controlled at the machine itself while the selection of the height of the pile or stitch can be controlled remotely.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will occur as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevation views of opposite sides of a mending machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the top plate and a portion of the top of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation view of the needle and plunger.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing in progressive positions the movement of the needle and plunger.

Referring to the drawings, the parts of the machine are mounted upon a support such as a casting, base or frame member 10 formed conveniently with a handle portion 12 which may readily be gripped by the hand of the operator in order to move the machine manually, as required, during the mending operations. Under the handle portion is a flat plate member 16 secured to the handle portion by screws or in any suitable manner, on the underside of which plate is secured a small electric motor 18 of conventional construction.. A drive shaft 20 extends from the motor and connects with a gear box 22. The gear box may be mounted in the casting in a hollowed-out portion provided therefor. Since the details of the gearing per se are only incidental to the invention, they are not shown or described.

Conveniently, the speed reduction may be conventional worm and worm wheel gears or by spur gears, as desired. A driven shaft 23 extends through the casting or housing laterally oneach side. On the side visible in Fig. 1, a crank disc 26 is mounted. Pivotally connected to the crank disc by a pin 30, parallel but eccentric to the driven shaft, is one end of a metal bar forming connecting link 28. The metal bar 28 is offset at its midportion toward the machine and is connected at its other end by a pivot pin 32 to a reciprocating block or upper head 34. The motion transmitted to this block by the movement of the connecting link 28 is guided by two parallel guide rods 36 and 38. The guide rod 36 ismounted at one end in top plate 14 on the machine frame or casting while the opposite end of that rod is mounted in a foot 15 on the casting. The upper end (as viewed in Fig. 1) of the guide rod 38 may also be mounted in the top plate 14 while the lower end of that rod may be mounted in an offset ledge 17 of the casting midway between the top plate and the foot 15.

Connecting with the upper head 34 is a lower head 44 which is also guided upon the rod 36 and is connected to the upper head by a sleeve 40 around the guide rod 36 and secured at its upper and lowerends to the heads 34 and 44. Also guiding the movement of the head 44 is one of another pair of guide rods 46 and 48 which are parallel to the guide rods 36 and 38 and are mounted in the top plate and in the machine frame in the same manner as rods 36 and 38. The guide rods 36 and 46 both pass through parallel borings in the lower head 44 as do the guide rods 36 and 38 through parallel borings in the upper head 34.

Formed on and extending outwardly from the head 44 midway between the guide rods 36 and 46 is a needle carrying boss or enlargement 42 (see Fig. 3). Mounted in this boss 42 is a hollow needle N which extends parallel to the guide rods 36and 46 and extends through a cleft or recess in the foot 15 of the machine casting. A guide sleeve 45 may be provided around the needle extending down from and mounted securely in the lower head 44. Yarn Y extending down through a guide loop or hole 17 in the end of the top plate 14 enters the boss 42 and passes down through the needle N and is reciprocates.

The travel of the needle N is normally of predeter- I mined or fixed amount so that the needle always penetrates the cloth to the sameexteut so long as the foot 15 of the machine is maintained against the surface of the cloth backing of the carpet.

In order that the height of the tuft or loop formed by the mending-machine maybe varied,- thefollowing mechanism .is provided. This mechanisrnnnay best'be understood by reference to Fig. 2. Gathe end of the driven shaft 23 on the opposite side of the machine from the crank 26 is a second crank disc 6i) to which is connected one end of a metal connecting member or. bar 58 by a pivot pin 59 whose axis is parallel to the driven shaft, but eccentric thereto. As will more fully appear later, the movement or.reciprocations of the connecting bar 58 causes reciprocatory motion of a plunger-actuating head 50 which is orwmay be a cast metal block having parallel borings therein, functioningv as guideways by which the blockmay be slidably guided along the guide d 46 an 4.8.

Attachedto the plunger head 50 isa long thin metal bar or plunger P which is mounted so as to slide in and through the needle N. The plunger P may be secured at its upper end in the plunger head by a set screw or in any other suitablefashion so that it may be readily removed and replaced, or a longer or shorter plunger may be substituted.

Reciprocationof the plunger head is caused by an oscillatory plunger head driving member or lever 52, one. end of which is pivotal ly connected to the plunger actuating head 50 bya pivot pin 51 While the opposite end is pivo-tally mounted upon a fixed pivot pin 54 in the machine frame. Provision for relative sliding motion between the pivot pin 54 andthe plunger drive lever 52 is by a slot 53 running lengthwise of the lever through which slot the fixed pivot pin 54 passes.

The connecting bar 58 is connected to the plungerhead driving lever 52 by an adjustable drive pin 56 near the upper end of the connecting bar 58 and passing through a longitudinal slot 59 in the central portion of the plunger-head driving lever 52. Said upper end is offset toward the machine from the lower end by a lateral bend in the middle.

The upper end of the connecting bar 58, as viewed in Fig; 2, is slidably and pivotally connected in the forked end of a fitting 66 by a pin 64 whose position can be varied instantaneously, as will hereinafter be more fully described. In order to permit sliding as well as pivotal motion, the pin 64 passes through a longitudinal slot in the upper end of the connecting bar 58.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be clear that so long as the pin 64 remains in the position there illustrated, the movement of the drive pin 56 in the connecting bar 58 will be in a fixed pathof certain length. Hence,

the movement of the plunger-head i as the plungerhead driving lever 52 oscillates about its pivot 54 will likewise be in a path of fixed length. In order to vary and increase the amplitude of movement of the plungerhead 50, the pin 64 may be moved from the full-line position of Fig. 2 to the dotted-line position. In order to accomplish this, the fitting or forked member 66 is mounted upon the outer end of a piston rod 68 which extends from a pneumatic cylinder 72. On the inner end of the piston rod is a piston 70 which is caused to move against the bias of an expansion spring 69 coiled around the piston rod between the piston 79 and the end of the cylinder nearest the fitting 66. Thus, the piston and piston rod, along with the fitting 66, are normally pressed into the position illustrated in Fig. 2 which will provide the shortest travel or least amplitude of plunger head '50. As air is admitted to the cylinder 72, the piston 76 is moved to the right (referring to Fig. 2) carrying the pin 64 to the dotted position of Fig. 2.

Byreference to Fig. 2, it will be clear that the movement of the pin 64 from the full to the dotted-line position is in a direction away from the fixed pivot 54 of the plunger-head drivingdeVer-S-Z: Hence, the drive pin 56 is likewise moved further from the pivot 54 of the plunger-head driving lever 52. Therefore, equal movement of the fulcrum pin 56 as the connecting bar 58 reciprocates will result in a greater movement of the end of the plunger-head driving lever 52 which is attached to the plunger-head 50. Hence, there will be a greater amplitude or reciprocatory movement of the plunger head 5-!) when the parts are in the dotted-line position In order that the change in position of. the pin 56 may be accomplished instantaneously and controlled by a control device from a remote point such'as on the opposite side of the rug which is being repaired from the side at which the machine is located, a flexible hose or tube 76 is connected to the cylinder 72 and to operating means such as a solenoid valve 75 of conventional construction, details of which need, therefore, not be described or illustrated; Compressed air from any suitable convenient source may enter through a flexible hose connection 77 to the solenoid valve. The valve is controlled by an electric switch in a housing controlled manually by the depression ofa switch button 82. The current for operating the valve enters the valve casing through the cable 78 and is controlled by the switch 80 through a cable 79 connected to the switch and the solenoid valve casing.

It is desirable for the machine operator to be able readily to control at the machine the stopping and starting of the motor and thus the reciprocating of the needle. Therefore, an electric push-button switch of conventional construction is mounted in the casting or housing 10 on the upper side of the handle 12with a button 86 readily depressible by the finger or thumb of the machine operator to open or close the switch and thus stop and start the motor.

The movement of the hollowneedle N and the plunger P moving therethrough are coordinated and adjusted so that the sequence of movements as illustrated in Fig. 6 may be achieved. After the needle has been withdrawn from the backing and the plunger has been withdrawn following the formation of a stitch, the parts are in position 1 of Fig. 6. Then the needle descends and penetrates the cloth as illustrated in positions 2 and 3 while the plunger remains elevated. In position 3, the needle pushes or loops the yarn through the'cloth. In position .4, the plunger has started to descend while the needle remains within the cloth. In position -5, the plunger has reached the open end of theneedle and the needle has started to ascend. In position 6, the plunger continues its descent while the needle is ascending, thus holding the yarn and causing the yarn loop to be elongated to the full extent desired. The plunger holds the yarn loop while the needle ascends. In position 7, the plunger is shown ascending and in position 8 the parts are again in the position of Fig. 1 ready to completethe cycle in the formation of a succeeding loop.

The plunger preferably is formed with a notch in its end as illustrated in Fig. 5 in order to maintain the yarn at the end of the plunger and to keep it from lateral movement or slipping oil the end as the needle ascends.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that by making the connecting wire 79 between the control switch 80 and the solenoid valve 75 long enough, the control switch can be held by a person on the pile side of the rug and facing the pile, while a person holding the mending machine may be located on the opposite side facing the backing. As the machine is moved from place to place in mending stitches or replacing or filling in, the person on the pile side of the rug can control the stitch height by merely pressing the button 82 to open or close the control switch 80 with'the result that when the switch is closed, the pin 64 will be moved to the dotted position in Fig. 2 and provide a high loop or -tuftwhile-when the tion' of Fig. 2 under action low loops or tufts. I p p All of the control can be exercised while the machine is operating. There is no need tostop the machine while the height of the tuft is adjusted. Since the action of the piston is substantially instantaneous, two adjacent stitches may be low and higher vice versa; but in the event that a penetration of the needle should take place while the piston is in transit, no harm will come to the machine and a stitch of intermediatelength, if formed, will hardly be noticeable over the surface of the rug.

It is within the scope of the invention to employ other means to shift the pivot pin 64, the mean's shown being one preferred means. An electric solenoid inlieu of the pneumatic cylinder and pistoncould be used as well; or a flexible wire in a cable might in some instances suffice.

Many modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific form and configuration of the parts as illustrated and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine to mend tufted rugs and the like, a reciprocating needle-adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a yarn loop, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the plunger, means adapted to remain stationary while the plunger is reciprocating but movable to vary the distance of plunger penetration through the rug fabric whereby to vary the loop height, and operating means operable durin'g reciprocation of the needle to operate said penetration-varying means.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 having a control device remote from and connected tosaid machine to actuate said operatin'g means from a remote point.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 having an electric switch remote from said machine and connected to said operating means to cause actuation of operating means from a remote point.

4. In a machine to mend tufted rugs and the like, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a yarn loop, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the plunger, means to vary the distance of plunger penetration through the rug fabric whereby to vary the loop height, and a control device remote from said machine and connected thereto to control ac tuation of said plunger-penetration varying means.

5. In a machine to mend tufted rugs and the like, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a yarn loop, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the plunger, an oscillatory lever'in said plunger-reciprocating mechanism, means to connect said lever with said plunger, and remotely controlled electrically actuated means to vary the amplitude of movement of said lever whereby to vary the loop height.

6. A portable mending machine comprising a support, a motor mounted on said support, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a loop, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism driven by said motor to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism driven by said motor to continuously reciprocate the plunger, means on the support to vary the distance of plunger penetration through the rug fabric whereby to vary the loop height, and means remote from the machine and connected thereto to control the operation of said heightvarying mean's.

9f the spring 9 and provide vary the loop height, and means operable during the 7. Aportable mending machine comprising a support, a motor mounted on said support, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a loop, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism driven by said motor to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism driven by said motor to continuously reciprocate the plunger, mean's on the support to vary the distance of plunger penetration through the rug fabric whereby to loop-forming action to actuate said height-varying means.

8. A portable mending machine comprising a support, a motor mounted on said support, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a loop, a re ciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism driven by said motor to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism driven by said motor to continuously reciprocate the plunger, means on the support operable during continuation of the operation of the machine to vary the loop height, and means remote from the machine and connected thereto to control the operation of said height varying means.

9. In a machine to mend tufted rugs and the like, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a yarn loop, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the plunger comprising a reciprocating member pivotally mounted at one end, an oscillatory member the amplitude of whose oscillation determines the extent of reciprocation of said plunger, a movable connection between said oscillatory and said re ciprocating members, and means to move said connection along said oscillatory member to vary the amplitude of said oscillatory member and thereby the loop height.

10. In a machine to mend tufted rugs and the like, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a yarn loop, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determiningthe loope height, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the plunger comprising a reciprocating member pivotally mounted at one end, an oscillatory member the amplitude of whose oscillation determines the extent of reciprocation of said plunger, a movable connection between said oscillatory and said reciprocating members, power-operated means to move said connection along said oscillatory member to vary the amplitude of said oscillatory member and thereby the loop height, and an electric switch remote from the machine contnolling operation of said power operated means.

11. In a machine to mend tufted rugs and the like, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a yarn loop, a reciprocating plun'ger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric with in the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the plunger comprising a ICCiPIQe cating member pivotally mounted at one end, an QSQSil latory member the amplitude of whose oscillation determines the extent of reciprocation :of said plunger, a movable connection between said oscillatory and said reciprocatin'g members, power-operated means to move said connection along said oscillatory member while the machine continuoes in operation to vary the amplitude of said 05- cillatory member and thereby the loop height without interruption of the loop formation, 4

12. In a machine to mend tufted rugs and the like, a reciprocating needle adapted to penetrate the rug fabric to form a yarn loop, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric I within the loop and determining the loop height, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the needle, mechanism to continuously reciprocate the plunger comprising a reciprocating member; pivotally mounted at one end, an oscillatory member the amplitude ,iOf whose oscillation determines the extent of reciprocation of said plunger, a movable connection between said-oscillatory and said reciprocating members, power-operated means to move said connection along said oscillatory member while the machine continues inoperation to vary the amplitude of said oscillatory member and thereby the loop height without interruption of the loop formation, and an electric switch remote from the machine controlling operation of said power-operated means. 7

13. In a machine to mend tufted rugs and the like, a reciprocatable needle for penetrating rug fabric to form a yarn loop, means to reciprocate the n'eedle continuously, a reciprocating plunger cooperating with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the yarn loop and determining the loop height, drive means to reciprocate the plunger continuously to a depth greater than the needle penetration, and means adapted to remain stationary While the plunger is reciprocating but movable to vary the operation of said drive means during reciprocation of the 8 plunger for changin'g the depth of plunger penetration to form loops of different heights.

14. In a machine to' mend tufted rugs and the like, a

support, a needle reciprocating in said support andadapt-E ed to penetrate the rug fabric to form a yarn loop, mecha nism to continuouslyreciprocate the needle, a reciprocating plunger cooperating-with the needle and adapted to penetrate the fabric within the loop and determining the loop' height, mechanism tocontinuously reciprocate the plunger, an'oscillatorly levernin said plunger-reciprocating mechanism, means pivotally mounting said lever at one end on said support, means connecting said lever with said plunger, and means to vary the amplitude of movement of said lever whereby to vary the plunger penetration of the rug fabric and-the loop height.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS 2,365,013 Sharkey et al. Dec. 12, 1944 2,533,420 Blumfield' Dec. 12, 1950 2,600,993 Kline et a1. June 17, 1952 2,682,842 Salle July 6, 1954 

